Old Cumbria Gazetteer - Stone Carr, Hutton

Stone Carr, Hutton

Stone Carr

civil parish:-

Hutton (formerly Cumberland)

county:-

Cumbria

locality type:-

locality

coordinates:-

NY41982826

1Km square:-

NY4128

10Km square:-

NY42

evidence:-

old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 57 12)
placename:- Stone Carr

source data:-

Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"Stone Carr / ..."

evidence:-

old text:- Clarke 1787
placename:- Stone Carr
item:- sports; games; wrestling; boxing; poem; Cursty and Peggy

source data:-

Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.

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Page 51:- "..."
"Upon Stone Carr there have been held, time out of mind, races and other sports; such as wrestling, leaping, tracing with dogs, &c.; these were entirely adapted to the neighbouring villagers, and the prizes were as follows:"
"There were several other similar prizes, and small as they were, they produced an incredible emulation among the villagers; for as corporal strength and activity were ever looked upon with the highest respect, the fortunate gainer of the belt was regarded with the highest honours: he wore it that evening, took the greatest care of it till next Sunday, when he went to his own church begirt with it; the Sunday following he went to some other adjacent church in the same manner, and claimed a precedence among his companions, which was always granted. Nor was this rougher compliment his only gratification; the passion of love has as great a claim to the rustic as to the courtier, and it has not unfrequently happened that he has by this means obtained a mistress on whom his former pleadings had been lavished in vain. Our Cumberland bard Mr Relph expresses it elegantly enough in the language of his own country:"
"A springing blush spreads far ower other cheek,
Down Mally luiks, and deuce a word can speak."
"As Mr Relph is almost the only author who has made our provincial dialect agreeable, and has taken particular notice of the behaviours of the fair ones upon this occasion, I shall here insert a whole poem of his; it may, for simplicity of sentiment, be"

For the Horses.
For the first, a Bridle, ... value 1s. 6d.
For the second, a pair of Spurs,	0 6
For the Wrestlers,	a Leathern Belt.
For the Leapers,	a pair of Gloves.
For the Foot Racers,	a Hendkerchief.
For the Dog Coursers,	a Pewter quart Pot.

source data:-

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Page 52:- "ranked with the first rate pastorals, and may at the same time serve as a specimen of the language."
See Clarke's volume.

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Page 53:- "These rustic games once produced a remarkable combat, which may serve as a specimen of the sentiments of our villagers concerning fighting. Mr Andrew Huddlestone, (who from his uncommon stature and strength was commonly called Great Andrew,) was very much delighted with these exercises: he was, however, at one of these wrestling matches overthrown by one Thomas Harrison of Blencoyn, who was equally conspicuous for bulk and strength. Finding himself overmatched at this exercise, he proposed to Harrison to take a bout at boxing: the proposal was immediately accepted and the combatants were preparing for the onset, when a Presbyterian clergyman lately come to Penruddock interfered, and endeavoured to reconcile them. The country people have a great respect for the sacred function, and as such, he was patiently heard by both parties: he even succeeded so far as to engage them to go and take a tankard of ale with him; during the drinking of the ale he endeavoured by every persuasive power he could use to reconcile them, and thought he had been suc-"

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Page 54:- "[suc]cessful. No sooner was the tankard finished, than Huddlestone, (after expressing the highest approbation of all the clergyman had said,) without the least anger either in his voice or countenance, again proposed the battle to Harrison, which was again accepted with as little anger by him: they accordingly fought, and after a terrible engagement, victory declared itself for Harrison; nor did this battle ever after raise the least enmity between the competitors. A brother of this Harrison, (a blacksmith at Penruddock,) named Lancelot, was equally remarkable for his great strength and stature. Some idea of his enormous bulk the reader may form from this: he was buried at Greystock, and as the sexton was digging a grave some years afterwards, he opened Harrison's; he took the jaw-bone to examine it, and found it of that prodigious magnitude, that applying over his own jaws, he was able to put his hand on each side between the bone and his own face. We may judge then of Harrison's gigantic stature from this, as the sexton is a stout well-made man, and measures five feet eleven inches and an half."

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